Network combining wired and non wired segments

ABSTRACT

A local area network ( 60 ) within a residence or other building, including both wired ( 5 ) and non-wired segments ( 53 ). The wired segments are based on new or existing wires ( 5   a,    5   b,    5   c,    5   d,    5   e ) in the building, wherein access to the wires is provided by means of outlets ( 61   a,    61   d ), such as a telephone system, electrical power distribution system, or cable television wiring system. The non-wired segments are based on communication using propagated waves such as radio, sound, or light (e.g. infrared). The wired and non-wired segments interface in the outlet, using a module ( 50 ) that serves as mediator between the segments. The module can be integrated into the outlet, partially housed in the outlet, or attached externally to the outlet. Such a network allows for integrated communication of data units ( 24   b ) connected by wires and data units ( 24   a,    24   d ) connected without wires.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/998,015, filed on Nov. 29, 2004; which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 10/890,199, filed on Jul. 14, 2004; which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/552,564, filed on Apr. 19,2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,459, issued: Jan. 11, 2005, thedisclosures of all of which are incorporated herein by reference

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of communication networks,and, more specifically, to the networking of devices within a buildingvia combined wired and non-wired communication.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a growing need for networking within the home. This need isdriven by two major factors, the increasing use of multiple data devicesand the emergence of broadband services in the home.

Lately there has been an expansion in the number of homes in the USAwith multiple personal computers. In addition, connectivity andnetworking capabilities have been added to appliances, such asrefrigerators and microwave ovens. Furthermore, there is a trend towardenabling data connectivity among various multimedia (audio and video)appliances such as TV's, VCR's, receivers, and speakers. The term “dataunit” as used herein denotes any device capable of generating and/orreceiving data. The networking of data units enables the sharing offiles and applications as well as the sharing of common peripheraldevices, along with other benefits.

Another driving force behind the need for home connectivity products isthe growth in the number of on-line households. As high-speedconnections to information and broadband entertainment sources soar,there is a growing need to share and distribute this access amongappliances within the house. These broadband services are suppliedmainly by three types of service providers:

-   -   1. Telco's, via xDSL connections (currently ADSL, to be followed        by VDSL).    -   2. CATV. Currently via Cable-Modem, to be followed by digital        Set-Top-Box.    -   3. Wireless connections, such as Satellite, LMDS, WLL, and        others.

Communication within a home can be classified into two types: wired andnon-wired. These are covered below:

Wired Communication

Wired communication requires using at least two distinct electricalconductors. The wiring can be new wiring installed and dedicated fordata communication within the home, such as installing structured wiringsuch as Category 5 type, used in Ethernet IEEE802 networks. However, theinstallation of a new wiring structure within a home is labor-intensive,complex, and expensive. Alternatively, existing home wiring, which waspreviously installed for a specific purpose, can be used for datacommunication without substantially affecting or degrading the originalservice. Existing wiring includes telephone wiring, power line wiring,and cable TV wiring. These are reviewed below.

For all wired configurations, the present invention relies uponelectrically-conducting lines which may be pre-existing within abuilding, which have at least two distinct electrical conductors, andwhich are capable of transporting data communication signals.Furthermore, the present invention relies upon suitable outlets, towhich the electrically-conducting lines are coupled, and which arecapable of connecting to external devices.

Telephone Wiring

In-home telephone service usually employs two or four wires, and isaccessed via telephone outlets into which the telephone sets areconnected.

FIG. 1 shows the wiring configuration of a prior-art telephone system 10for a residence or other building, wired with a telephone line 5.Residence telephone line 5 consists of single wire pair which connectsto a junction-box 16, which in turn connects to a Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN) 18 via a cable 17, terminating in a publicswitch 19, which establishes and enables telephony from one telephone toanother. The term “analog telephony” as used herein denotes traditionalanalog low-frequency audio voice signals typically under 3 KHz,sometimes referred to as “POTS” (“Plain Old Telephone Service”), whereasthe term “telephony” in general denotes any kind of telephone service,including digital service such as Integrated Services Digital Network(ISDN). The term “high-frequency” as used herein denotes any frequencysubstantially above such analog telephony audio frequencies, such asthat used for data. ISDN typically uses frequencies not exceeding 100KHz (typically the energy is concentrated around 40 Khz). The term“telephone line” as used herein denotes electrically-conducting lineswhich are intended primarily for the carrying and distribution of analogtelephony, and includes, but is not limited to, suchelectrically-conducting lines which may be pre-existing within abuilding and which may currently provide analog telephony service. Theterm “telephone device” as used herein denotes, without limitation, anyapparatus for telephony (including both analog telephony and ISDN), aswell as any device using telephony signals, such as fax, voice-modem,and so forth. Junction box 16 is used to separate the in-home circuitryfrom the PSTN and is used as a test facility for troubleshooting as wellas for wiring new in the home. A plurality of telephones 13 a and 13 bconnects to telephone lines 5 via a plurality of telephone outlets 11 a,11 b, 11 c, and 11 d. Each outlet has a connector (often referred to asa “jack”), denoted in FIG. 1 as 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d,respectively. In North-America, RJ-11 is commonly used. Each outlet maybe connected to a telephone unit via a connector (often referred to as a“plug”), denoted in FIG. 1 (for the two telephone units 13 a and 13 billustrated) as 14 a and 14 b, respectively. It is also important tonote that lines 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, and 5 e are electrically the samepaired conductors.

While network 10 exhibits serial or daisy-chained topology wherein thewiring is serialized from an outlet the next one only, other topologiessuch as star, tree or any arbitrary topology may also exist. However,the telephone wiring system within a residence is always composed ofwired media: two or four copper wires, and several outlets whichprovides direct access for connecting to these wires.

There is a requirement for simultaneously using the existing telephoneinfrastructure for both telephone and data networking. In this way, thetask of establishing a new local area network in a home or otherbuilding is simplified, because there would be no additional wires toinstall. U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,402 to Crane (hereinafter referred to as“Crane”) teaches a way to form LAN over two-wire telephone lines, butwithout the telephone service.

As an another example, relevant prior-art in this field is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,896,443 to Dichter (hereinafter referred to as“Dichter”). Dichter suggests a method and apparatus for applyingfrequency domain/division multiplexing (FDM) technique for residentialtelephone wiring, enabling simultaneously carrying telephone and datacommunication signals. The bandwidth enabled by the wiring is split intoa low-frequency band capable of carrying an analog telephony signal anda high-frequency band capable of carrying data communication signals. Insuch mechanism, the telephone service is not affected, while datacommunication capability is provided over existing telephone wiringwithin a home. The concept of frequency domain/division multiplexing(FDM) is well-known in the art, and provides means of splitting thebandwidth carried by a wire into a low-frequency band capable ofcarrying an analog telephony signal and a high-frequency band capable ofcarrying data communication or other signals. Such a mechanism isdescribed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,448 to Reichert et al.(hereinafter referred to as “Reichert”). Also widely used are xDSLsystems, primarily Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) systems.

The Dichter network is illustrated in FIG. 2, which shows a network 20serving both telephones and providing a local area network of dataunits. Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) units 24 a, 24 b, and 24 c areconnected to the local area network via Data Communication Equipment(DCE) units 23 a, 23 b, and 23 c, respectively. Examples of DataCommunication Equipment include modems, line drivers, line receivers,and transceivers (the term “transceiver” herein denotes a combinedtransmitter and receiver). DCE units 23 a, 23 b, and 23 c arerespectively connected to high pass filters (HPF) 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c.The HPF's allow the DCE units access to the high-frequency band carriedby telephone-line 5. In a first embodiment (not shown in FIG. 2),telephones 13 a, 13 b, and 13 c are directly connected to telephone line5 via connectors 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c, respectively. However, in orderto avoid interference to the data network caused by the telephones, in asecond embodiment (shown in FIG. 2) low pass filters (LPF's) 21 a, 21 b,and 21 c are added to telephones 13 a, 13 b, and 13 c from telephoneline 5. Furthermore, a low pass filter is also connected to Junction Box16, in order to filter noises induced from or to the PSTN wiring 17. Itis important to note that lines 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, and 5 e areelectrically the same paired conductors.

Additional prior-art patents in this field can be found under US Class379/093.08, which relates to carrying data over telephone wiring withoutany modifications made to the telephone wiring (e.g. wires and outlets).US Patent 5,841,360 and U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/123,486and 09/357,379 to the present inventor are the first to suggestmodifying the telephone wiring, by means of splitting the wiring intodistinct segments, each of which connects two telephone outlets. In thisway, the network is modified from ‘bus’ topology into multiple‘point-to-point’ segments, enabling superior communicationcharacteristics.

Part of such a network 30 is shown in FIG. 3, describing outlets 31 aand 31 b, substituting outlets 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The telephone wiring5 is split into distinct segments 5 a, 5 b and 5 c. Low-Pass Filter(LPF) and High-Pass Filters (HPF) are coupled to each wire segment end,in order to split between the telephony and the data signals. As shownin FIG. 3, LPF's 21 b and 21 c are attached to each end of wiringsegment 5 b. The LPF's are designed to allow passing of the telephonysignals, and are connected together thus offering a continuous path forthe telephony signals. Access to the telephony signals is made viaconnectors 12 a and 12 b in the outlets, into which telephone devices 13a and 13 b are connected via connectors 14 a and 14 b respectively.Thus, the telephony service is fully retained. The data signals, carriedin the high part of the spectrum, are accessed via HPF's 26 a and 22 b,coupled to each end of the telephone wire segment 5 b. HPF's 22 a and 26b are connected to the ends of the wire segments 5 a and 5 crespectively. Each HPF is connected to a modem 23 and 27, which transmitand receive data signals over the telephone wiring. Modems 23 a, 27 a,23 b, and 27 b are connected to HPF's 22 a, 26 a, 22 b and 26 brespectively. Data units 24 a and 24 b are connected to the outlets 31 aand 31 b respectively, via a connector (not shown in the Figure) in theoutlet. The data units are coupled via DTE interface in the outlet.Outlets 31 a and 31 b comprise DTE interfaces 29 a and 29 brespectively. The three data streams in each outlet, two from each modemand one from the DTE, are handled by an adapter 28 a and an adapter 28b, which serve outlets 31 a and 31 b, respectively. While FIG. 3describes an embodiment wherein all the components for the relevantfunctions are housed within the outlet, other embodiments are alsopossible, wherein only some of the components for these functions arecontained within the outlet.

Power Lines

It is possible to transmit data over wiring used for distribution ofelectrical power within the home, which is normally at a frequency of 50or 60 Hz. Access to the power is available via power outlets distributedaround the house. Such wiring consists of two wires (phase and neutral)or three wires (phase, neutral, and ground).

FDM techniques, as well as others, are used for enabling datacommunication over power lines. Many prior-art patents in this field canbe found in US Class 340/310.

Cable Television Lines

It is also possible to transmit data over wiring used for thedistribution of television signals within the home. Such wiring usuallyis coaxial cable.

Both power line and cable television wiring systems resemble thetelephone line structure described in FIG. 1. The wiring system is basedon conductors, usually located in the walls, and access to these wiresis obtained via dedicated outlets, each housing a connector connecteddirectly to the wires. Common to all these systems, is the fact that thewiring was installed for a dedicated purpose (telephone, power, or cableTV signal distribution). Wherever one of these existing wiring systemsis used for carrying data, it is desirable that the original service(telephony, power, or television signal distribution) be unaffected.Dedicated modems are used for carrying data over the media concurrentlywith the original service.

When using existing wiring, specific wired modems are normally requiredfor communicating over the electrically-conducting lines, and access tothe electrically-conducting lines is provided via the relevant outlets.Using electrically-conducting lines as the communication media allowsfor high bandwidth, and provides robust and cost-effectivecommunication. In addition, communication over large distances ispossible, which in most cases enables coverage of the whole house,thereby guaranteeing communication from any outlet to another within thehouse.

Such networks, however, require data units to be connected to theoutlets, usually by means of a cable from the data unit to a suitablenearby outlet. This makes the connection complex and hard-to-use,requires the data unit to be in proximity to an appropriate outlet, andimpairs mobility for some data units within the house.

Non-Wired Communication

Non-wired solutions for in-home data networking use waves propagatedwithout an electrically-conducting medium. Three main techniques arecommonly used:

-   -   1. Radio Frequency (RF). Transmission of data between data units        can be accomplished with radio frequency electromagnetic        signals. As an example, IEEE802.11 can be used.    -   2. Light. Transmission of data between data units can be        accomplished with light in the visible or non-visible spectrum.        Currently, the most popular is infrared (IR) based        communication. Most such systems require ‘line-of-sight’        placement of the communicating data units.    -   3. Sound. Transmission of data between data units can be        accomplished with sound waves, either in the audio spectrum        (20-20,000 Hz), or inaudible spectrum (ultrasonic, above 20,000        Hz; or infrasonic, below 20 Hz).

It is noted that although light and radio waves are both electromagneticphenomena, they occupy different parts of the electromagnetic spectrumand have significantly different characteristics for purposes of thepresent invention. Thus, light and radio waves are herein treated asdistinct physical phenomena.

An example of a non-wired data network 40 is shown in FIG. 4. Two dataunits 41 a and 41 b are shown, into which non-wired transceivers 42 aand 42 b are respectively coupled. The non-wired transceivers 42 a and42 b communicate over a space 43 without any electrically-conductingmedium. If RF transmission is used, the transceivers are RFtransceivers, and the communication over space 43 is based on thepropagation of radio frequency electromagnetic waves. Similarly, in thecase of light-based communication, transceivers 42 a and 42 b utilizelight emitters (e.g. LEDs) and light detectors (e.g. photoelectriccell), and the communication over space 43 relies on the propagation oflight. Likewise, in the case of sound-based communication over space 43,the transceivers use microphones and speakers, and the communicationrelies on the propagation of sound waves through the air in the space43. Since these solutions do not require any physical connection such ascable, they provide both ease-of-use and mobility. However, suchnon-wired solutions are effective over short distances only.Furthermore, most of the non-wired solutions cannot easily pass throughwalls and other such obstructions, owing to the attenuation to thesignals. Hence, such techniques are suitable for communication within asingle room, but are not suitable for communication between the rooms ofa home or other building.

There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highlyadvantageous to have, a means for implementing a data networking in-homebetween data units, wherein such data units can be networked within ahome or other building, while providing mobility and ease of use. Thisgoal is met by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a data communication network within abuilding having wired and non-wired segments. The wired segments arebased on electrically-conducting lines installed within the building. Inaddition to supporting data communication, these electrically-conductinglines concurrently distribute a primary service other than the transportof data communication signals, such as telephone service, electricalpower service, or cable television service, and may be pre-existingwires originally-installed to distribute the primary service. Dedicatedoutlets are used to enable direct access to the wiring. The presentinvention uses means for utilizing the electrically-conducting linesconcurrently for both the transport of data communication signals andthe primary service, without any interference between these two uses.The non-wired segments employ communication withoutelectrically-conducting media, via waves propagated through open space,such as by light or radio waves, or by acoustic waves in air.

The wired and non-wired segments are combined by means of circuitry inone or more outlets. The coupling device is a module containing one portfor coupling to the wired network using a specific wired modem. Anotherport of the device couples to the non-wired segment, using a non-wiredmodem. An adapter handles the data flow between the wired segment andthe non-wired segment, and has provision for protocol conversion, ifrequired.

The module coupling both segments, or any of the components of themodule, can be fully integrated into the outlet, partially integratedinto the outlet, or externally coupled to it. Therefore, according tothe present invention there is provided a local area network within abuilding for transporting data among a plurality of data units, thelocal area network including at least one wired segment and at least onenon-wired segment, wherein the at least one wired segment includes: (a)at least one electrically-conducting line within the building, theelectrically-conducting line having at least two conductors andoperative to transport data communication signals; (b) at least twooutlets, each operative for coupling to the electrically-conductingline; and (c) at least one wired modem coupled to theelectrically-conducting line, operative to communicate over theelectrically-conducting line; (d) and wherein the at least one non-wiredsegment is operative to communicating data withoutelectrically-conducting media and includes at least one non-wired modem,wherein at least one of the outlets couples a wired segment to anon-wired segment, and wherein the at least one electrically-conductingline is furthermore operative for concurrently distributing a serviceother than the transport of data communication signals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a common prior art telephone line-wiring configuration fora residence or other building.

FIG. 2 shows a first prior art local area network based on telephoneline wiring for a residence or other building.

FIG. 3 shows a second prior art local area network based on telephoneline wiring for a residence or other building.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art non-wired communication network.

FIG. 5 shows modules according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a local area network according to the present invention,wherein telephone wiring used for the wired segment and radio-frequencycommunication for the non-wired segment.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of a local area network based ontelephone lines as the wired segment and radio frequency communicationfor the non-wired segment.

FIG. 8 shows a kit for upgrading existing electrically-conducting linesto support a network according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The principles and operation of a network according to the presentinvention may be understood with reference to the drawings and theaccompanying description. The drawings and descriptions are conceptualonly. In actual practice, a single component can implement one or morefunctions; alternatively, each function can be implemented by aplurality of components and circuits. In the drawings and descriptions,identical reference numerals indicate those components that are commonto different embodiments or configurations.

The invention is based on a wired/non-wired network adapter module(hereinafter referred to as “module”). A functional description of sucha module 50 is shown in FIG. 5. The module comprises a physical port 54for connecting to the wired network. The communication with the wirednetwork is carried by wired transceiver 51. Wired transceiver port 54and transceiver 51 are dependent upon the type of wired network.Interfacing a telephone line-based network requires a telephone linetransceiver, while connecting to a power line network requires a powerline dedicated modem. Additionally, the connection to the wired networkmay require specific means in order to meet regulatory and safetyrequirements, as well as specific means for ensuring that the basicservice (e.g. telephony service, power distribution) is notsubstantially degraded or affected.

The non-wired segment interfaces via a port 55. Port 55 communicateswithout an electrically conducting medium. Communication with thisnon-wired segment is handled by a non-wired modem/transceiver 53. Theterm “non-wired modem” herein denotes any device capable of datacommunication without requiring an electrically conducting medium. Thedata to and from the wired segment and the data to and from thenon-wired segment are handled by a protocol adapter 52. Protocol adapter52 may serve as a transparent unit, acting as a repeater/regenerator,dealing with the physical layer only of the OSI model. However, higherlayers can also be handled by the protocol adapter 52. In such a case,the protocol adapter will function as a bridge, router, gateway or anyother adaptation mechanism as required.

Other facilities of module 50 may contain logic, control, processing,storage, power-supply and other components not shown in FIG. 5. Thecommunication supported by module 50 can be simplex (unidirectional,either from the wired towards the non-wired segment or vice-versa),half-duplex, or full duplex. A module 50 a connects a telephone linenetwork segment to an RF network segment. Module 50 a employs atelephone line modem 51 a as the wired network interface, aradio-frequency modem 53 a as an interface to the non-wired networksegment, and a protocol adapter 52 a. A module 50 b is an embodiment ofthe present invention, in which the telephone line transceiver can beimplemented by a high-pass filter (HPF) 22 a and data terminal equipment(DCE) 23 a, as also used by Dichter as discussed previously.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a network 60 according to the presentinvention that includes wired and non-wired segments. The wired segmentis based on telephone wiring 5 within a building as described in FIG. 1.While outlets 11 b and 11 c are unchanged, outlets 11 a and 11 d arereplaced by outlets 61 d and 61 a, respectively, containing modules 50 dand 50 e respectively. Basic telephone service is retained by employinglow-pass filters (LPF) 21 d and 21 a in outlets 61 d and 61arespectively. The LPF's are coupled to telephone connectors 12 d and 12a respectively, enabling connection of telephone devices. This isillustrated by a telephone 13 a connected by connector 14 a to connector12 a in outlet 61 a. A Dichter-type data communication network isestablished by connecting data terminal equipment (DTE) via a modem andHPF, as illustrated by DTE 24 b connected to DCE 23 b, which is coupledto HPF 22 b, which is in turn directly coupled to telephone wiring 5 viaconnector 12 b in outlet 11 b.

The non-wired part of network 60 is based on radio frequencytransmission, utilizing a pair of RF transceivers 53 (FIG. 5). As shownin FIG. 6, DTE's 24 d and 24 a are coupled to RF transceivers 53 c and53 b, respectively. In turn, each such RF transceiver communicates withRF transceivers 53 d and 53 a, respectively, which are integrated withinoutlets 61 d and 61 a, respectively.

Integrating the wired and non-wired segments of the network isaccomplished by modules 50 d and 50 e, each of which is illustrated bymodule 50 c in FIG. 5. Modules 50 d and 50 e are integrated withinoutlets 61 d and 61 a, respectively. Each such module interfaces thewired segment of the network by a telephone modem. Each such modemcontains a high-pass filter 22 and DCE 23, as described previously for aDichter-type network. Interfacing to the non-wired segment of network 60is performed via an RF transceiver, wherein modules 50 d and 50 ecomprises RF transceivers 53 d and 53 e respectively. Protocols and dataconversion between both segments are performed by adapter 52 (FIG. 5),wherein adapters 52 d and 52 e are integrated within modules 50 d and 50e respectively. Network 60 allows DTE's 24 d, 24 b and 24 a tocommunicate among themselves. While DTE 24 b is connected to the networkvia a wired connection, DTE's 24 d and 24 a can communicate in anon-wired manner. While FIG. 6 illustrates a single DTE connected bywires and two DTE's connected without wires, it is obvious that anynumber of DTEs of each type can be connected. Furthermore, while innetwork 60 each outlet supports a single wired or non-wired DTEconnection, other implementations can also be supported. For example, anoutlet can provide one or more wired connections simultaneously with oneor more non-wired connections.

While FIG. 6 illustrates the case where module 50 is integrated in anoutlet 61, embodiments of the present invention also include thosewherein the module is external to the outlet. Similarly, selective partsof a module may be integrated within an outlet while other parts areexternal. In all cases, of course, appropriate electrical and mechanicalconnection between the module and the outlet are required. A networkoutlet is physically similar in size, shape, and overall appearance to astandard outlet, so that a network outlet can be substituted for astandard outlet in the building wall. No changes are required in theoverall telephone line layout or configuration.

Network 60 provides clear advantages over hitherto proposed networks.For example, DTEs (e.g. PC's) located in different rooms caninterconnect without the need to use any wires. A radio-frequencytransceiver in each DTE communicates with the nearest outlet, and theoutlets communicate between rooms over the telephone wiring media.

The invention can equally well be applied to the prior art wired networkillustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 shows part of a network 70. Outlet 31 arepresents a prior-art network outlet. In order to interface to thenon-wired network segments, an outlet 71 according to the presentinvention must be used. With the exception of RF transceiver 53 a withinoutlet 71, which communicates with RF transceiver 53 b connected to aDTE 24 a, outlet 71 is similar to outlet 31 a. In this embodiment, themodule includes two telephone line modems 23 b and 27 b, a three-portadapter 72 (for the two wired ports and the single non-wired port), andRF transceiver 53 a. The advantages offered by the prior-art topologyapply also for this configuration.

While the present invention has been described above for the case wherethe wired media is based on a telephone line system and includestelephone wires and telephone outlets, the present invention can equallywell be applied to other wired systems such as those based on power andcable television signal distribution. In the case of an electrical powerdistribution system, the electrical wires and outlets employed for powerdistribution in the house are used. Similarly, cable television wiringand outlets can also be used. In all cases, it may be necessary toretain the basic service for which the wiring systems were installed:telephony service, electrical power distribution, or television signals.This is usually achieved by adding the appropriate circuitry to separatethe data communication network from the basic service, as well as toavoid interference of any kind between the two roles currently employingthe same wiring. For example, the LPF's 21 a, 21 b, 21 c, and 21 d; andHPF's 22 a, 22 b, 26 a, and 26 b (FIG. 7) serve the role of separatingthe telephony service from the data communication network andvice-versa.

While the present invention has been described above for the casewherein the non-wired communication is accomplished by radio-frequencytransmission, the present invention can be equally applied to othertypes of non-wired communication, such as:

-   -   1. Non-wired communication accomplished by other forms of        electromagnetic transmission.

Electromagnetic waves in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrumcan be used for communication. For example, low-frequencyelectromagnetic radiation can be used to transmit audio-frequencysignals over short distances without a carrier. Radio-frequencytransmission is a special case of this general electromagnetictransmission. As noted previously, light is also a special case ofelectromagnetic radiation, but is herein treated separately because ofthe characteristics of light are distinctly different from those ofelectromagnetic transmission in other usable parts of theelectromagnetic spectrum.

-   -   2. Non-wired communication accomplished by light. Either visible        or non-visible light wavelength can be used for such        transmission. As previously noted, currently, the most popular        is infrared (IR) based communication. Most such systems require        substantially ‘line-of-sight’ access.    -   3. Non-wired communication accomplished by sound. Either audible        sound (20-20,000 Hz band), or inaudible sound (ultrasonic, above        20,000 Hz; or infrasonic, below 20 Hz).

In addition to the described data communication function, the networkaccording to the present invention can also be used for control (e.g.home automation), sensing, audio, or video applications, and thecommunication can also utilize analog signals (herein denoted by theterm “analog communication”). For example, a video signal can betransmitted in analog form via the network.

Upgrade Kit

The present invention also contemplates a kit for upgrading existingelectrically conducting lines to support a network as described above.FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of such a kit containing an outlet 132and an outlet 134 and installation instructions 136. Outlet 132 hasconnection 144 for coupling to a wired segment and mounting points suchas a flange 146 for installing in the building walls. Outlet 132 alsohas a jack 138 and a jack 140 for connecting to external devices viacables, and a transducer 142 for connecting to external data units via anon-wired segment. Within outlet 132 is a module according to thepresent invention, as previously described and illustrated in FIG. 5. Inone embodiment, transducer 142 is a radio frequency transceiver. Inanother embodiment, transducer 142 is a combined light-emitting diodeand photocell receiver. In still another embodiment, transducer 142 is acombined speaker and microphone. Likewise, in one embodiment, jack 138is a telephone jack. In another embodiment, jack 138 is an electricalpower socket. In still another embodiment, jack 138 is a cabletelevision jack. In one embodiment, jack 140 is a data jack. Theembodiment of the kit illustrated in FIG. 8 has two outlets, outlet 132and outlet 134, which are illustrated as substantially identical.However, in another embodiment, the kit contains only outlet 132. Instill another embodiment, outlet 134 does not contain a transducer.Other variations are also possible in different embodiments.

It will also be appreciated that the outlet and the adapter module maybe provided as separate components for use in upgrading existing wiringof a building to support a local area network having at least one wiredsegment and at least one non-wired segment. They may likewise findindependent use for further expanding a hybrid network that haspreviously been upgraded according to the invention. Such an outlet isprovided with a first coupler for coupling the outlet to the at leastone non-wired segment, and a second coupler for coupling the outlet tothe existing wiring via an adapter module. The adapter module may beeither fully or partially integrated within the outlet.

A method for upgrading existing electrically conducting lines within abuilding to support a network according to the present inventioninvolves:

-   -   (a) providing a wired modem;    -   (b) providing a non-wired modem;    -   (c) providing an adapter for handling the data communications        between a wired segment and a non-wired segment; and    -   (d) providing an outlet, and    -   (e) equipping the outlet with the wired modem, the non-wired        modem, and the adapter.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations,modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.

1. A module for coupling a wired digital data signal to a wireless dataunit, for use with an existing wiring infrastructure in a building, theinfrastructure including wiring at least in part in walls of thebuilding and connected to one or more wall-mounted outlets, the wiringincluding at least one wire pair connected for concurrently carrying awired digital data signal and a power signal, said module comprising: afirst connector for connecting to one of the wall-mounted outlets forconnection to the wiring; a transceiver coupled to said first connectorand operative for full-duplex packet-based serial digital datacommunication of the wired digital data signal with a single matingtransceiver of the same type as said transceiver over the wiring using awired digital data protocol; a radio frequency modem operative forconducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital datacommunication of a wireless digital data signal using a wireless digitaldata protocol; a packet-based digital protocol adapter including one ofa bridge, a router and a gateway, coupled between said transceiver andsaid radio-frequency modem for converting data between the wirelessdigital data protocol and the wired digital data protocol; and a singleenclosure containing said first connector, said transceiver, said radiofrequency modem and said protocol adapter, wherein said transceiver andsaid radio frequency modem are coupled to said first connector to bepowered from the power signal carried over the wiring.
 2. The moduleaccording to claim 1, wherein said module is further mechanicallyremovably attachable to the one of the wall-mounted outlets.
 3. Themodule according to claim 1, wherein the wireless digital data signal isbased on the IEEE802.11 standard.
 4. The module according to claim 1,wherein said module is further connectable to a digital data unit andfurther comprises a second connector coupled to said packet-baseddigital protocol adapter for coupling the wired digital data signal tothe digital data unit.
 5. The module according to claim 1, wherein saidmodule is further connectable to a wired data unit and furthercomprises: a data connector connectable to the wired data unit; and asecond transceiver coupled between said data connector and saidpacket-based digital protocol adapter, for conducting standard-basedfull-duplex packet-based digital data communication with the wired dataunit and for coupling the wired digital data to the wired data unit. 6.The module according to claim 5, wherein said data connector and saidsecond transceiver are operative to constitute a standard IEEE802.3interface.
 7. The module according to claim 1 wherein said radiofrequency modem is further operative to establish a wirelesscommunication link that is part of one of: a WLL network, a LMDSnetwork, and a satellite network.
 8. The module according to claim 1,wherein said transceiver is further operative for conductingstandard-based packet-based serial digital data communication with twoor more identical transceivers coupled to the wiring and in the samebuilding by respective wall-mounted outlets.
 9. The module according toclaim 1, wherein said radio frequency modem is further operative forconducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital datacommunication of the wireless digital data signal with two or morefurther radio frequency modems, and the wireless digital data signal isa radio frequency signal conforming to a standard-based wireless digitaldata protocol.
 10. An outlet for coupling a wired digital data signal toa wireless data unit, for use with an existing wiring infrastructure ina building, the infrastructure including wiring at least in part inwalls of the building and connected to one or more wall-mounted outlets,the wiring including at least one wire pair connected for concurrentlycarrying a wired digital data signal and a power signal, the outletcomprising: a first connector for connecting to the wiring; atransceiver coupled to said first connector and operative forfull-duplex packet-based serial digital data communication of the wireddigital data signal with a single mating transceiver of the same type assaid transceiver over the wiring using a wired digital data protocol; aradio frequency modem operative for bi-directional packet-based digitaldata communication of a wireless digital data signal using a wirelessdigital data protocol; a packet-based digital protocol adapter includingone of a bridge, a router and a gateway, coupled between saidtransceiver and said radio frequency modem for converting data betweenthe wireless digital data protocol and the wired digital data protocol;and a single enclosure containing said connector, said transceiver, saidradio frequency modem and said protocol adapter, wherein said enclosureis mountable to an outlet cavity or to an outlet opening, and whereinsaid transceiver and said radio frequency modem are coupled to saidfirst connector to be powered from the power signal carried over thewiring.
 11. The outlet according to claim 10, wherein said singleenclosure is constructed to have at least one of the following: a formsubstantially similar to that of a standard outlet; wall mountingelements substantially similar to those of a standard wall outlet; ashape allowing direct mounting in an outlet opening or cavity; and aform to at least in part substitute for a standard outlet.
 12. Theoutlet according to claim 10, wherein the wireless digital data signalis based on the IEEE802.11 standard.
 13. The outlet according to claim10 further connectable to a digital data unit, wherein said outletfurther comprises a second connector coupled to said packet-baseddigital protocol adapter for coupling the wired digital data signal tothe digital data unit.
 14. The outlet according to claim 10, whereinsaid outlet is further connectable to a wired data unit, and said outletfurther comprises: a data connector connectable to the wired data unit;and a second transceiver coupled between said data connector and saidpacket-based digital protocol adapter, for conducting standard-basedfull-duplex packet-based digital data communication with the wired dataunit and for coupling the wired digital data signal to the wired dataunit.
 15. The outlet according to claim 14, wherein said data connectorand said data transceiver are operative to constitute a standardIEEE802.3 interface.
 16. The outlet according to claim 10, wherein saidradio frequency modem is further operative to establish a wirelesscommunication link that is part of one of: a WLL network, a LMDS networkand a satellite network.
 17. The outlet according to claim 10, whereinsaid transceiver is further operative for conducting standard-basedfull-duplex packet-based digital data communication with two or morefurther transceivers coupled to respective wall-mounted outletsconnected to the wiring in the building.
 18. The outlet according toclaim 10, wherein said radio frequency modem is further operative forconducting standard-based bi-directional packet-based digital datacommunication of the wireless digital data signal with two or morefurther radio frequency modems, and the wireless digital data signal isa radio frequency signal conforming to a standard-based wireless digitaldata protocol.
 19. A communications system network in a building,comprising: a plurality of wall-mounted standard outlets connected forcarrying digital data to different rooms of the building, said outletsbeing wired together by building wiring connected for carrying a digitaldata signal and a power signal; a plurality of wireless receivers insidethe building; and a plurality of modules, each attached externally to,and supported by, a respective one of said outlets, each of said modulescontaining: (i) a first transceiver configured for bi-directionaldigital data communication to and from the wiring leading from therespective outlet in accordance with a first communications protocol;(ii) an RF modem configured for bi-directional wireless digital datacommunication to and from at least one of the wireless receivers inaccordance with a second communications protocol; and (111) a protocoladapter coupling said first transceiver with said RF modem.
 20. Thenetwork according to claim 19, wherein the wireless communication isbased on IEEE802.11 standard.
 21. The network according to claim 19,wherein at least one of said modules is further connectable to a wireddata unit and further comprises: a data connector connectable to thewired data unit; and a data transceiver coupled between said dataconnector and said protocol adapter, for conducting standard-basedbi-directional packet-based digital data communication with the wireddata unit.
 22. The network according to claim 21, wherein said dataconnector and said data transceiver are operative to constitute astandard IEEE802.3 interface.
 23. The network according to claim 19,wherein said network is part of one of: a WLL network, a LMDS networkand a satellite network.
 24. The network according to claim 19, whereinsaid first transceiver is further operative for conductingstandard-based bi-directional packet-based digital data communicationwith two or more further transceivers coupled to respective outletsconnected to the building wiring.
 25. The network according to claim 19,wherein said RF modem is further operative for conducting standard-basedbi-directional packet-based radio frequency digital data communicationwith two or more further RF modems employing the wireless digital datasignal, and the wireless digital data signal conforms to astandard-based wireless digital data protocol.
 26. A network fornon-wired communication between first and second non-wired data unitsrespectively located at first and second locations and communicatingwith each other over existing wiring in a building to concurrently carrya bi-directional packet-based wired digital data signal and a powersignal, said network comprising: a first device housed in a first singleenclosure, said first device being connected at the first location totransmit and receive digital data over the wiring, said first devicebeing a non-wired device communicatively couplable to exchangepacket-based digital data over a non-wired medium with the firstnon-wired data unit, said first device further being operative totransmit to the wiring data received from the first non-wired data unitand to transmit to the first non-wired data unit digital data receivedfrom the wiring; and a second device housed in a second singleenclosure, said second device being connected at the second location totransmit and receive digital data over the wiring, said second devicebeing a non-wired device communicatively couplable to exchangepacket-based digital data over a non-wired medium with the secondnon-wired data unit, said second device further being operative totransmit to the wiring data received from second non-wired data unit andto transmit to the second non-wired data unit digital data received fromthe wiring; wherein said network is operative to transparently andbi-directionally pass digital data between the first and secondnon-wired data units, and wherein said first device is at least in partpowered from the power signal carried over the wiring.
 27. The networkaccording to claim 26 wherein the wiring is at least in part in walls ofa building and is connected to a first wall-mounted outlet at the firstlocation and to a second wall-mounted outlet at the second location, andwherein said first and second devices are in the building and arerespectively connected to the first and second outlets via first andsecond standard connectors.
 28. The network according to claim 27wherein at least one of said first and second devices is mechanicallyattached to the respective outlet.
 29. The network according to claim 27wherein at least one of said first and second devices is mechanicallydetachable from the respective outlet.
 30. The network according toclaim 27 wherein at least one of said first and second devices ismountable into an outlet cavity or opening.
 31. The network according toclaim 26 wherein the same non-wired protocol is used for the exchange ofpacket-based data over a non-wired medium between said first device andthe first non-wired data unit and between said second device and thesecond non-wired data unit.
 32. The network according to claim 31wherein the digital data signal carried over the wiring uses a wiredprotocol distinct from the non-wired protocol, and wherein each of saiddevices comprises a packet-based digital protocol adapter comprising oneof: a bridge; a router; and a gateway, coupled to convert between thenon-wired and wired protocols.
 33. The network according to claim 26wherein the exchange of data over one of the non-wired mediums with atleast one of the first and second non-wired data units is based on oneof: sound; visible light; infrared light; and radio frequency radiation.34. The network according to claim 26 wherein the exchange of data overone of the non-wired mediums with at least one of the first and secondnon-wired data units uses radio frequency radiation based on theIEEE802.11 standard.
 35. The network according to claim 26 wherein atleast one of the first and second non-wired data units is locatedoutside a building and the exchange of data over one of the non-wiredmediums with at least one of the first and second non-wired data unitsis performed by an outdoor broadband service using radio frequencyradiation.
 36. The network according to claim 35, wherein the outdoorbroadband service is based on one of: satellite, LMDS and WLL service.37. The network according to claim 26, wherein at least one of saidsingle enclosures is constructed to have at least one of the following:a form substantially similar to that of a standard outlet; wall mountingelements substantially similar to those of a standard wall outlet; ashape allowing direct mounting in an outlet opening or cavity; and aform to at least in part substitute for a standard outlet.
 38. Thenetwork according to claim 26, wherein said first and second devices areidentical to each other.
 39. The network according to claim 26, whereinthe first and second locations are respectively first and second roomsin the same building.
 40. A device for use in a network for non-wiredcommunication between first and second non-wired data units respectivelylocated at first and second locations and connected together viaexisting wiring to concurrently carry a bi-directional packet-basedwired digital data signal and a power signal, wherein: said device ishoused in a single enclosure and is connected at the first location totransmit and receive digital data over the wiring, said device being anon-wired device communicatively couplable to exchange packet-baseddigital data over a non-wired medium with the first non-wired data unit,said device further being operative to transmit to the wiring datareceived from the first non-wired data unit and to transmit to the firstnon-wired data unit digital data received from the wiring; the networkis operative to transparently and bi-directionally pass digital databetween the first and second non-wired data units when another device,identical to said device, is connected at the second location totransmit and receive digital data in a digital data frequency band overthe wiring.
 41. A kit comprising first and second devices connectabletogether via existing wiring in a building to form a network fornon-wired communication between first and second non-wired data unitsrespectively located at first and second locations and communicatingwith each other over to concurrently carry a bi-directional packet-basedwired digital data signal and a power signal, the network beingoperative to transparently and bi-directionally pass digital databetween the first and second non-wired data units, wherein: said firstdevice is housed in a first single enclosure and is connectable to be atleast in part powered from the power signal carried over the wiring, andsaid first device is connectable at the first location to transmit andreceive digital data over the wiring, said first device being anon-wired device communicatively couplable to exchange packet-baseddigital data over a non-wired medium with the first non-wired data unit,said first device further being operative to transmit to the wiring datareceived from the first non-wired data unit and to transmit to the firstnon-wired data unit digital data received from the wiring; and saidsecond device is housed in a second single enclosure and is connectableat the second location to transmit and receive digital data over thewiring, said second device being a non-wired device communicativelycouplable to exchange packet-based digital data over a non-wired mediumwith the second non-wired data unit, said second device further beingoperative to transmit to the wiring data received from second non-wireddata unit and to transmit to the second non-wired data unit digital datareceived from the wiring.